Rotorua children learn how to be safe when interacting with canine friends

Sam Munns, 6, holds his hand out to greet Max. Photo/Supplied

Children came together at the Rotorua Library to learn more about dog safety, with some there hoping to overcome their fears around our canine friends.

SPCA Rotorua education manager Geoff Rudsdale and animal advocate Max the Border Collie Cross held a session on Monday to teach children and parents how to be safe around dogs.

Points the session covered included how to greet a dog, why dogs bite and reading a dog's body language.

Raj Kaur says her daughters always feel scared by dogs and decided to go along to the session because she felt they should be confident with dogs in the future.

She says they do not have any dogs at home and the session gave her daughters some training regarding how to behave around dogs and learning about them.

Mannat Kaur, 11, says she learnt that whenever you want to pat a dog you have to put your hand out.

"I think this training was really good because it tells you heaps about how to react."

She says usually she would run and shout when she saw a dog but now she would feel more confident.

Max enjoys the attention. Photo/Supplied

Darryl Munns says he brought his children over from Tauranga for the dog safety session.

He says they had been hoping to find a session like this over there, but this was the only one he could find.

Darryl says he brought his children along because there had been a situation when they were out in public where a dog had been running loose and was jumping up on the children, which scared them.

He says it is "magic" having a dog safety session available for the public.

Sam Munns, 6, says he found the session fun because of how Geoff showed them a video and was telling them how to stay safe around dogs.

He says Max is really fluffy when you pat him and that now he will feel safer around dogs.

Imogen Munns, 8, says she also like the video shown about dog safety, and she thinks Max is fluffy and gentle.

Geoff says the turn out for both the library session and their dog safety sessions at the centre these school holidays have been great, and that the children have been responsive.

"It's not always available to the children through schools and I think it's a great way to involve the community with what we do."

He thinks often children are not made aware of things like how to meet and greet a dog properly, especially if they have not had a lot of contact with animals at home.

"Just keeping themselves safe is important."

Geoff says at the library session it was interesting how many people in the audience had children who have had bad experiences with dogs.

"They are trying to get over that fear. Another great reason for holding these is because it is important people get over that fear."